Author: Susan Elizabeth Ball

Unlock the transformative power of faith with Susan Ball, author of the acclaimed Christian Bible study, 'Honoring God with Your Money,' and the captivating trilogy of Christian novels: 'Restorations,' 'Reconciliations,' and "Letters to Mother from College." Delve into timeless wisdom that enriches lives. Beyond writing, Susan brings her expertise as a small business consultant and draws from her experience as a former pizza restaurant owner. Embrace her unique perspective as a devoted wife, mother, and proud grandmother of 8. Explore Susan Ball's inspiring works on Amazon and embark on a journey of spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. Subscribe now to join a community dedicated to living with purpose and faith. Access Susan Ball's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Elizabeth-Ball/author/B0047P60V2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Blessings Through Tears

Laura Story’s song Blessings is the song which I most identify with at this time.  Our family, like most families I know, has endured some very difficult situations in the past few years, but in the midst of the difficult times we have felt God’s presence every step of the way.   His strong arms have carried us through unemployment, bereavement, and uncertainty.  We have absolute assurity that our God is in control of our lives and our future.  Athough we would never pray for God to bring difficult circumstances our way, we recognize that He uses those circumstances to reveal to us our need for Him and to help us grow in our faith.  Life on Earth will be challenging some days–many days–but as the song says, “This is not our home.” 

 

Blessings

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

 

 

Who Put the Closet in the Bathroom?

After months of house hunting, we put in an offer on a house today.  Overall, we really like the house and it meets all our needs. However, it has two features that are on my list of pet peeves in houses:  the master bedroom closet is in the bathroom and there is no porch or covering over the front entry.

I might not mind the closet being in the bathroom if it were as well-designed as this one.

I wonder what brilliant designer/architect/home builder first decided to that it would be a good idea to force a homeowner to walk through their bedroom to get to their closet.  It must have been someone of substantial influence in the home building world, as this feature has been found in many of the homes we have seen during our home search.  It doesn’t make any sense to me, and logic dictates that it can’t be good for clothing to be exposed to the high humidity of a bathroom.  If our offer is accepted on this house, our first order of business upon taking possession will be to have the bathroom and closet remodeled. 

Not a bad house, but it would be much nicer with a portico covering the entry.

I don’t understand why anyone would build a house without a front porch or at least a portico over the stoop.  On rainy days, I don’t want my guests exposed to the elements until I can open the door and allow them to enter the house.  Also, a porch or portico adds architectural interest.  Obviously, it’s cheaper to install a front door with a simple stoop, but I find those designs don’t have the curb appeal of a house with a grander front entry.  If we wind up buying this house, adding a portico will be high on our “must-do” list.

  This experience led me to enumerate other house design pet peeves of mine. 

1)      Cook top in the island.  I like to have a large counter space for chopping vegetables, baking cakes, and other food preparation.  The island is the ideal spot and having the cook top in the island interferes with that.  I won’t even consider a home with this pet peeve.  I look forward to my grandchildren being old enough to sit around the island and help me make cookies.

2)      Kitchen counter visible from front door.  I don’t want my kitchen counter to be the first thing guests see as they come in my front door.  If I had a kitchen with that design, I would have to keep my kitchen spotless all the time.  There’s no possibility of that happening, so I eliminate houses with that design from my search.

3)      Laundry room/closet in the kitchen.  Fortunately we haven’t seen this often but we have seen it.  My kitchen is the hub of my house and there is more than enough going on in there without having to deal with laundry there.

4)      No foyer.  Most of the houses we’ve looked at had at least a small foyer, but a few have come straight into the living room and one entered into the kitchen. That will not do for me.

5)      Carpet in the bathroom.  We aren’t seeing this often but we have seen it in a few homes.  I suppose those homeowners liked the warmth carpeting provides, but I think it would be difficult to keep clean.  At least this pet peeve is easily and relatively inexpensively fixed.

6)      Walk up basements.  Our preference is that the basement door be at walkout level.  If that isn’t feasible, we would prefer no basement entry, as walk up basements are prone to flooding.  This is one pet peeved that cannot be changed, so those houses don’t make it on our list of contenders.

7)      Laundry in basement.  We currently have a colonial home with a basement laundry room.  It does provide for a spacious laundry area, but I am tired of carrying laundry up and down two flights of stairs.  We’ll save those houses for homebuyers with younger legs.

8)      Tiny showers.  The home we are trying to buy has a shower that is larger than a cruise ship shower but not by much.  I’m not sure that I could shave my legs in that shower.  While we are remodeling the bathroom to get the closet out of it, we will be increasing the size of the shower considerably.  We’ll probably add a built-in seat while we’re at it.  My husband will much prefer that to me refusing to shave my legs.

Those are the top 10 things we are trying to avoid in our next home.  We realize it is unlike we will find the “perfect” house without any of these features.  However, we will only consider houses that can be modified to eliminate any pet peeves.

What are your biggest pet peeves when it comes to house features?  What will make you say “no way” to buying a house you otherwise like?

My One Word for 2012: Intentional

I have been pondering my One Word for 2012 for two months now and have finally chosen ‘Intentional’ as my word for the year.  When I began considering what my focus for the year should be, I recalled a note a co-worker wrote me upon her retirement a few years ago.  She thanked me for reminding her “to keep the important things the important things.”  I wasn’t aware that I had ever done that, but I appreciated the compliment and have tried to live up to it. Of course, I fail more often than I succeed but I keep trying.

In trying to find a word which would encompass “focusing on the important things,” I considered thoughtful, purposeful, and balanced, before deciding on intentional.  The dictionary definition of intentional is “done with intent or purpose; deliberate.” I want to live my life with purpose and be deliberate in my actions.

My goal for 2012 is to be intentional in focusing my time and energy on what is truly important rather than simply responding to situations that present themselves.  This will require me to set priorities and take actions that will help me to accomplish my priorities.  

This year I want to be intentional (1) in getting deeper into God’s Word and growing closer to Him, (2) in seeking His will for every aspect of my life, (3) in putting relationships ahead of accomplishing a to-do list, and (4) in taking steps to maintain my health, which will include losing weight and exercising more.  I want to intentionally choose activities that will enhance my life and my relationships rather than those that simply fill my time.

Living intentionally this year will mean that I will spend less time mindlessly watching whatever show happens to be on television or surfing the Internet, less time playing Solitaire and Angry Birds, and less time stressing over situations that may or may not occur and that won’t matter to me a week later.  I’m sure I will fail often–it’s so easy to fall back into old habits–but my hope is that by making a deliberate decision to live intentionally, I will move closer to my goal of focusing my attention on the truly important things in life.  As I do that I will come closer to accomplish my life goal of bringing honor and glory to God in all that I do.

Happy Valentine’s Day to My Favorite Valentines

Wishing a very special Valentine’s Day to two little people who have captured my heart completely.

Grandson DanielFrom the moment we first learned we were to be grandparents, Steve and I were filled with love for our unborn grandchild.  We were so delighted to meet Daniel and have enjoyed every moment of watching him grow from a baby to a toddler.  He is full of energy and discovering new skills daily.

Granddaughter BrooklynWe were overjoyed to learn last spring that a second grandchild–to be Daniel’s cousin–was expected at Christmas time.  Again our hearts filled with love for this child that we did not yet know but whose birth was greatly anticipated.  Brooklyn arrived 6 weeks ago to everyone’s great delight.  She is a good natured baby who loves to be held and cuddled.

Every moment we spend with Daniel and Brooklyn brings love and joy to our hearts.  As Steve and I celebrate our 35th Valentine’s Day together, we are truly very blessed.  God has given us three amazing sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and two very precious grandchildren.  Our hearts are filled with love and gratitude to God for His amazing blessings and His love for us.

Review of Reconciliations

Fellow OakTara author Bruce Judisch reviewed my second novel, Reconciliations, in his blog yesterday:  http://www.brucejudisch.blogspot.com/

Bruce has three novels currently in print.  I haven’t read them yet, but they all sound intriguing.  I am particularly looking forward to reading Bruce’s two-volume series, A Prophet’s Tale.  In these books, Bruce examines the world of Ninevah and Jonah’s struggles with obeying God’s command to preach repentance to the Ninevites.  For more information on Bruce Judisch and his writing, please see http://www.oaktara.com/BruceJudisch.

If you would like to read a sample of Reconciliations, please email me at susan@susaneball.com.  I would be happy to email you the first few chapters, so you can decide if you want to read the book.

Groundhog Day Reflections

 

Groundhog Day was my great-grandmother Loflin’s favorite holiday.  I have no idea why she was so fascinated with this day.  It’s really not a holiday at all, but rather a celebration.  I do remember vividly how excited Grandma Loflin would be to find out Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction for the end of winter. Ironically, she died on Groundhog Day 1963.  After all these years, the arrival of February 2nd always makes me think of her.

Phil Connors and Punxsutawney Phil

In 1993, the movie Groundhog Day was made starring Bill Murray.  As soon as I heard of it, my interest was piqued and it quickly became one of my favorites.  I love watching Murray’s character, Phil Connors, transform from a selfish, womanizer into a warm, caring individual.

Against his opposition, Connors is assigned to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.  A major snowstorm forces the crew to spend another night in the small town.  Connors awakens to find that it is again Groundhog Day.  He is forced to relive Groundhog Day repeatedly, with seemingly no end.  He reacts initially with anger, violence, and even by committing suicide, only to reawaken to yet another Groundhog Day celebration.

Eventually Connors stops fighting his new reality and begins to change.  He uses each new Groundhog Day to learn more about the members of his news team and to fall in love with the people of Punxsutawney.  He becomes the polar opposite of what he had been.  He genuinely cares for people and goes out of his way to help others.  In fact, by the end, he is the most loved man in town.

The transformation of Phil Connors in Groundhog Day parallels the changes Christians undergo as God works to shape their lives in accordance with His Word and His plans for their lives.  Removing negative qualities and replacing them with godly characteristics is the goal of the purification process God sends our way through tests and trials.  In the book of James we are told, “the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  (James 1:3, 4)  And in Romans 5: 3, 4 we read “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Phil Connors went through a time of suffering and testing to become a man he was meant to be.  God brings trials and tests to our lives to help us become the people he wants us to be.  If we fail the test, He brings another one our way. As we pass each test, we become more mature and take another step toward completion.  The trials refine our character and increase our hope in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

It took Phil Connors a long time to grow and mature into a warm, caring man.  I pray that I respond to God much more quickly and that I allow the trials God sends my way to refine and purify me.

‘My One Word’Experiment for 2011—Closing Thoughts

Last year I heard about the “My One Word” challenge on my local Christian radio station. The idea is that instead of creating a list of resolutions, which are generally broken and long-forgotten by the time February 1st rolls around, we should choose a word to focus on for the year.  The originators of this idea refer to it as an ‘experiment.’  Their web site states that choosing one word “provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future.”  For more information on the My One Word experiment, you may go to their web site:  http://myoneword.org/.

For 2011, I chose “Delight” to be my word.  The scripture I focused on was “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4 (NKJV).  The last three years have been challenging, and at times draining, as we faced the loss of my husband’s job and resulting long-term unemployment and the declining health of his parents.  The pressures of life had weighed heavily on me in 2009 and 2010.  I was determined to not let them steal my joy. 

I did none of the suggested exercises.  My total commitment to the exercise was to write two blogs about my word.  Yet, whenever I found myself getting bogged down by cares of the world, ‘Delight’ would pop into my mind.  Just thinking the word gave me a better perspective.  It is almost impossible to say or think the word ‘Delight’ without feeling a bit ‘delightful.’

As the year drew to a close, I once again read Psalm 37 during my devotions.  This time it was the 23rd verse that caught my attention.  It says, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He DELIGHTS in every detail of their lives.”   What a joy it brought to my heart to be reminded that God delights in me and in everything that concerns me. 

I can come to God with all the details of my life and He delights in guiding me to making the best decisions and the right choices.  God will direct Steve and me as we continue to search for a new home (see January 17th post).  He will guide me to be the best employee I can be and Steve as he continues to seek direction regarding earning a living.  God cares about our marriage, our health, and our relationships.  He is delighted when I bring these things to Him and He delights in helping me.  And those thoughts fill me with ‘Delight’.

I am still praying and pondering ‘My Word’ for 2012.  I plan to make a decision this week.

Will you participate in the ‘My One Word’challenge this year?  What ‘one word’ will you focus on in 2012?

Follow Up Visit to the Burn Center

Three weeks ago, our oldest child awakened us with a 4 a.m. phone call to tell us he was in our local emergency room and was about to be transported to the burn center at Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.  That was a scary phone call and one no parent wants to receive.  Fortunately, his burn was relatively minor and he is healing just fine.

Last week he made his follow visit to the burn center.  As he and his father sat in the waiting room, they were surrounded by patients who had been severely burned.  My son later told me that he felt a bit foolish even being there when his burn was so minor. 

In the waiting room were two men who had been engulfed in flames after a wood chipper they were welding blew up.  The other two men with them were also severely burned and one of them did not survive the ordeal.  After extinguishing the flames, one of the men had to place a 911 call.  When help arrived, the men had to be transported 2 miles on foot to reach the helicopter that would take them to the burn center.  The accident occurred last May and the men are still in considerable pain.  They have had numerous surgeries and face more in the future.

Among the other patients was a child whose face had been burned.  As a parent, it is horrifying to think about a child being severely burned and perhaps disfigured for life.  This experience has made us very grateful that our son’s injury was so minor in comparison.  It also reminds us that horrific accidents happen everyday. We never know when we  or our loved ones will be involved in an accident that can alter their lives. 

Our prayers go out to those who deal daily with the after effects of a severe accident.  And we are grateful to God that He daily watches over and protects our loved ones.  If such a tragedy should befall us, we are confident that God will be faithful to walk through the difficult times with us.

Our Endless Quest for the Perfect House

My husband and I have been house hunting for the past several months. When we decided it was time for a new house, we thought it would be easy.  We knew just what we were looking for and we are so easy to please. 

We simply want a house with a spacious kitchen, an open floor plan, and  a decent size lot with some trees.   That’s all we asked of our realtor. 

 Except…

Well, a  big front porch would be nice.  It would be even better if it has a long porch railing from which to hang Christmas lights.  And a pretty front door is a must.

And…

A sitting area in the master bedroom would be an added bonus.  And we love it to have a vaulted ceiling and a large, walk in closet. 

Also…

A large tub to soak in at the end of the day would be a plus.  With a separate shower, of course.  And double sinks.  And a nice vanity area.  And maybe a separate little room for the toilet.

And, of course…

It really should have a big den.  A great room would be even better.  We need to have a lot of seating when the family comes over to watch football games. 

Did I mention that we’re not overly fond of white houses with black trim or yellow houses?  Brick houses, however, are very nice.

I can’t imagine why we haven’t found what we want after six months of looking.  Our realtor says we need to up our price range, but we’re certain she can find just what we’re looking for within our budget.  I mean, 

4 a.m. Phone Call

My heart always skips a beat when the phone rings at 4 a.m.  No one calls at 4 a.m. with good news.  Fortunately, most such middle-of-the-night phone calls turn out to be wrong numbers.  Unfortunately, the call we received at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning was not a wrong number.  It was our oldest son.

He begins the conversation with “Don’t freak out, but I’m in the emergency room.”  Not a good start.  But it can’t be too bad, can it, since he is able to make the phone call himself?

“I burned my hand on hot grease.”  We breathe a sigh of relief.  A burnt hand isn’t that bad.

“They’re transferring me to the burn unit at MCV.”  Our hearts skip a beat.  There is no way to put a positive spin on being transferred to a burn unit 50 miles away.

We hang up the phone and try to process the information we have just received.  We begin imagining the worst possibilities.   We shed a few tears, hold each other, and pray for our son.

We’ve never been to the university hospital in Richmond, so we call our local emergency room for directions.  We are told that our son is still there and will be for another half hour, so we dress and rush over to see him.  He seems fine except for the large bandage covering his right hand.  “It’s not that bad,” he tells us; however, his nurse disagrees. “It’s pretty bad,” she whispers.

Soon after he arrives at MCV, the burn specialist declares that it really isn’t bad for a grease burn.  He had been prepared to perform skin grafts but realizes that grafts will not be necessary.  Praise God!  However, it is 6 hours before they release him and only after he agrees to having a home health care nurse come to the house to perform wound care for the next couple of days.

The end prognosis is that he should heal fine, if the wound does not become infected.  He is home-bound for the next 2 weeks to minimize the possibility of infection.  We have been assured he will retain full mobility of his hand. We are unsure  whether the hand will be scarred. 

We are grateful to the doctors and nurses who treated our son, and we are thankful that he had the good sense to seek medical attention.  Most of all, we thank God that He protected our son from permanent injury. 

This 4 a.m. was a reminder that we never know what each day (or night) will bring.  Even though our children are grown, they are still our children and we worry about them.  And that will never change.